265 research outputs found
Gauge Independence of the Effective Potential Revisited
We apply the formalism of extended BRS symmetry to the investigation of the
gauge dependence of the effective potential in a spontaneously symmetry broken
gauge theory. This formalism, which includes a set of Grassmann parameters
defined as the BRS variations of the gauge-fixing parameters, allows us to
derive in a quick and unambiguous way the related Nielsen identities, which
express the physical gauge independence, in a class of generalized 't Hooft
gauges, of the effective potential. We show in particular that the validity of
the Nielsen identities does not require any constraint on the gauge-fixing
parameters, to the contrary of some claims found in the literature. We use the
method of algebraic renormalization, which leads to results independent of the
particular renormalization scheme used.Comment: 13 pages, no figures, Latex, final version published in NP
Dynamics with Infinitely Many Derivatives: The Initial Value Problem
Differential equations of infinite order are an increasingly important class
of equations in theoretical physics. Such equations are ubiquitous in string
field theory and have recently attracted considerable interest also from
cosmologists. Though these equations have been studied in the classical
mathematical literature, it appears that the physics community is largely
unaware of the relevant formalism. Of particular importance is the fate of the
initial value problem. Under what circumstances do infinite order differential
equations possess a well-defined initial value problem and how many initial
data are required? In this paper we study the initial value problem for
infinite order differential equations in the mathematical framework of the
formal operator calculus, with analytic initial data. This formalism allows us
to handle simultaneously a wide array of different nonlocal equations within a
single framework and also admits a transparent physical interpretation. We show
that differential equations of infinite order do not generically admit
infinitely many initial data. Rather, each pole of the propagator contributes
two initial data to the final solution. Though it is possible to find
differential equations of infinite order which admit well-defined initial value
problem with only two initial data, neither the dynamical equations of p-adic
string theory nor string field theory seem to belong to this class. However,
both theories can be rendered ghost-free by suitable definition of the action
of the formal pseudo-differential operator. This prescription restricts the
theory to frequencies within some contour in the complex plane and hence may be
thought of as a sort of ultra-violet cut-off.Comment: 40 pages, no figures. Added comments concerning fractional operators
and the implications of restricting the contour of integration. Typos
correcte
The Association Between Broad Antigen HLA Mismatches, Eplet HLA Mismatches and Acute Rejection After Kidney Transplantation
Epitope matching, which evaluates mismatched amino acids within antigen-antibody interaction sites (eplets), may better predict acute rejection than broad antigen matching alone. We aimed to determine the association between eplet mismatches and acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients.The association between eplet mismatches, broad antigen mismatches and acute rejection was assessed using adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression. Model discrimination for acute rejection was evaluated using the area under receiver operating characteristic curves.Of the 3,499 kidney transplant recipients from 2006 to 2011, the average (SD) number of broad antigen and eplet mismatches were 3.4 (1.7) and 22.8 (12.2), respectively. Compared with 0 to 2 eplet mismatches, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for acute rejection among those with 20 or greater eplet mismatches was 2.16 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-3.52; P = 0.001). The adjusted area under the curve for broad antigen mismatches was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.56-0.61), similar to that for eplet mismatches (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.56-0.61; P = 0.365). In recipients who were considered as low immunological risk (0-2 broad antigen HLA-ABDR mismatch), those with 20 or greater eplet mismatches experienced an increased risk of rejection compared to those with less than 20 mismatches (adjusted HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.11-3.08; P = 0.019).Increasing number of eplet mismatches is associated with acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Consideration of eplet HLA mismatches may improve risk stratification for acute rejection in a selected group of kidney transplant candidates.Hung Thanh Do Nguyen, Germaine Wong, Jeremy R. Chapman, Stephen P. McDonald, Patrick T. Coates, Narelle Watson, Lloyd D'Orsogna, and Wai Hon Li
Rotational Surfaces in and Solutions in the Nonlinear Sigma Model
The Gauss map of non-degenerate surfaces in the three-dimensional Minkowski
space are viewed as dynamical fields of the two-dimensional O(2,1) Nonlinear
Sigma Model. In this setting, the moduli space of solutions with rotational
symmetry is completely determined. Essentially, the solutions are warped
products of orbits of the 1-dimensional groups of isometries and elastic curves
in either a de Sitter plane, a hyperbolic plane or an anti de Sitter plane. The
main tools are the equivalence of the two-dimensional O(2,1) Nonlinear Sigma
Model and the Willmore problem, and the description of the surfaces with
rotational symmetry. A complete classification of such surfaces is obtained in
this paper. Indeed, a huge new family of Lorentzian rotational surfaces with a
space-like axis is presented. The description of this new class of surfaces is
based on a technique of surgery and a gluing process, which is illustrated by
an algorithm.Comment: PACS: 11.10.Lm; 11.10.Ef; 11.15.-q; 11.30.-j; 02.30.-f; 02.40.-k. 45
pages, 11 figure
The global, regional, and national burden of pancreatic cancer and its attributable risk factors in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Background: Worldwide, both the incidence and death rates of pancreatic cancer are increasing. Evaluation of pancreatic cancer burden and its global, regional, and national patterns is crucial to policy making and better resource allocation for controlling pancreatic cancer risk factors, developing early detection methods, and providing faster and more effective treatments. Methods: Vital registration, vital registration sample, and cancer registry data were used to generate mortality, incidence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) estimates. We used the comparative risk assessment framework to estimate the proportion of deaths attributable to risk factors for pancreatic cancer: smoking, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body-mass index. All of the estimates were reported as counts and age-standardised rates per 100 000 person-years. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) were reported for all estimates. Findings: In 2017, there were 448 000 (95% UI 439 000\u2013456 000) incident cases of pancreatic cancer globally, of which 232 000 (210 000\u2013221 000; 51\ub79%) were in males. The age-standardised incidence rate was 5\ub70 (4\ub79\u20135\ub71) per 100 000 person-years in 1990 and increased to 5\ub77 (5\ub76\u20135\ub78) per 100 000 person-years in 2017. There was a 2\ub73 times increase in number of deaths for both sexes from 196 000 (193 000\u2013200 000) in 1990 to 441 000 (433 000\u2013449 000) in 2017. There was a 2\ub71 times increase in DALYs due to pancreatic cancer, increasing from 4\ub74 million (4\ub73\u20134\ub75) in 1990 to 9\ub71 million (8\ub79\u20139\ub73) in 2017. The age-standardised death rate of pancreatic cancer was highest in the high-income super-region across all years from 1990 to 2017. In 2017, the highest age-standardised death rates were observed in Greenland (17\ub74 [15\ub78\u201319\ub70] per 100 000 person-years) and Uruguay (12\ub71 [10\ub79\u201313\ub75] per 100 000 person-years). These countries also had the highest age-standardised death rates in 1990. Bangladesh (1\ub79 [1\ub75\u20132\ub73] per 100 000 person-years) had the lowest rate in 2017, and S\ue3o Tom\ue9 and Pr\uedncipe (1\ub73 [1\ub71\u20131\ub75] per 100 000 person-years) had the lowest rate in 1990. The numbers of incident cases and deaths peaked at the ages of 65\u201369 years for males and at 75\u201379 years for females. Age-standardised pancreatic cancer deaths worldwide were primarily attributable to smoking (21\ub71% [18\ub78\u201323\ub77]), high fasting plasma glucose (8\ub79% [2\ub71\u201319\ub74]), and high body-mass index (6\ub72% [2\ub75\u201311\ub74]) in 2017. Interpretation: Globally, the number of deaths, incident cases, and DALYs caused by pancreatic cancer has more than doubled from 1990 to 2017. The increase in incidence of pancreatic cancer is likely to continue as the population ages. Prevention strategies should focus on modifiable risk factors. Development of screening programmes for early detection and more effective treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer are needed. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Global trends of hand and wrist trauma: A systematic analysis of fracture and digit amputation using the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study
Background: As global rates of mortality decrease, rates of non-fatal injury have increased, particularly in low Socio-demographic Index (SDI) nations. We hypothesised this global pattern of non-fatal injury would be demonstrated in regard to bony hand and wrist trauma over the 27-year study period. Methods: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 was used to estimate prevalence, age-standardised incidence and years lived with disability for hand trauma in 195 countries from 1990 to 2017. Individual injuries included hand and wrist fractures, thumb amputations and non-thumb digit amputations. Results: The global incidence of hand trauma has only modestly decreased since 1990. In 2017, t
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